


Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy

by LexiWritesThings



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: AHOT6 - Freeform, Christmas Fluff, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Multi, Ragehappy Secret Santa, awkwardly like 3 different conversations with different moms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-25
Updated: 2014-12-25
Packaged: 2018-03-03 12:21:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2850689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LexiWritesThings/pseuds/LexiWritesThings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With Christmas just around the corner, the Achievement Hunters are ready to splinter off to visit their assorted families. Things never seem to go as scheduled, however.<br/>[AH OT6 Fluffy Christmas fic for the 2014 RageHappy Secret Santa! Recipient: chaoticpeace10 on Tumblr]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much to everyone involved with the RageHappy Secret Santa this year. Ave and Tats were amazing about helping me get an extension with my semester paper to work around, and I am eternally grateful. This was my first year, and I had a ton of fun. I hope my recipient likes this fic as much as I do.
> 
> Recipient: chaoticpeace10 on Tumblr! 
> 
> Be prepared for an obscene amount of grown men talking to their mothers. I honestly don’t know how that happened.

It starts with Ray.

 

Which is odd, because the Puerto Rican so often stays quiet and out of the way and avoids causing problems. Not that, in the end, any of them would particularly call it a problem, but all the same. It starts with Ray.

 

* * *

 

“ _Come on, it’s lovely weather for a sleigh-_ “

 

“Finish that fucking sentence and you won’t be able to sing any more damn carols for another six months, Gavin.”

 

Gavin whined but did indeed stop singing as he continued to watch Michael wrap the presents before him. Ray smiled from his spot in front of the TV, eyes not leaving the game on the screen. He didn’t need to turn around to clearly see the two on the couch, Gavin petulantly pouting at the redhead and Michael trying his hardest to not fuck up the bow he was trying to tie.

 

Christmas preparations were in full swing, with the holiday less than a week away and still so much to do. Thankfully, the work holiday had already kicked off, leaving everyone with just enough time to get their shit together before the 25th. For Michael, Gavin, Ryan, Ray, and Geoff, that meant packing and triple checking flight information and trying to cram gifts into checked bags or overnighted boxes because they were _all_ travelling home for the holidays.

 

Because they were all massive assholes that didn’t want to spend their first Christmas together as boyfriends.

 

Well, not so much that. It more had to do with the fact that they had been “officially” together for all of two months and things were still new and terrifying and, aside from the legitimate “being in a relationship” part of dating each other, they all had managed to retain that weird bachelor mindset that demanded seeing family over Christmas. They had all booked flights-- just like every other (painfully single) year before-- and just generally avoided talking about it because communication seemed a bit pointless. What was there to talk about? It wasn’t like they could just stand their own families up on such short notice, right?

 

They all tried to not think on it too much.

 

“Gavin, I swear to God, if you’re humming that shitty fucking song-“

 

“I’m not!”

 

The decidedly musical humming that had filled the room stopped, leaving Ray’s game as the only source of noise aside from the crinkling of wrapping paper. The Puerto Rican considered heading back to his apartment to check his bags, as his flight was at five the next morning, when his phone rang. Michael and Gavin both looked up as Ray paused his game and answered the call. The automated voice on the other end of the line was cheery, very much unlike the news it was delivering.

 

“Ray, what’s wrong?”

 

“ _-are sorry for the inconvenience, and are offering rescheduled flights on December 27 th, or wait listing for flights as early as December 24th. Please call back at 1-800-“_

“Crap,” Ray muttered as he hung up, “Snow in New York’s got all flights into JFK cancelled tomorrow.”

 

“Really? That’s shitty.” Michael put down his half-wrapped box on the couch and came around the coffee table to sit next to Ray.

 

“Yeah and every fucking flight until after Christmas is full up.”

 

“Jesus,” Gavin murmured, already moving to wrap his arms around the brunet.

 

“I guess I’m not going home, then,” Ray sighed and set his phone down. Gavin buried his face in the younger’s neck, hugging him tightly.

 

“It isn’t totally hopeless. You can go see them as soon as possible,” Michael suggested after pressing a kiss to Ray’s temple.  

 

“Yeah, I just… it’s gonna suck spending Christmas alone.”

 

Ray’s solemn statement hung heavily in the air, Gavin and Michael keeping quiet. They couldn’t refute it, because yeah, being alone on any family-centered holiday sucked major ass and should be avoided at all costs. And with every single one of them leaving the state for Christmas, save Jack, who would be going to spend time with his own family across town, Ray would most certainly be stupidly single again for the holidays.

 

“What happened?”

 

Jack’s voice came from the other side of the room. The three lads looked up, Gavin with his arms still wrapped tightly around Ray, as Jack walked over to the recliner by the couch. Ray quickly explained his sudden change in plans. After a pause, the bearded man rubbed at the back of his neck. The Puerto Rican could pick up the nervous tick easily.

 

“If you didn’t want to be alone, you could, uh, always here with me?” It sounded more like a question than an offer, but it still made Ray’s heart beat a bit faster. The six of them all happened to congregate at Jack’s comfortable home more often than any other place. If he was completely honest with himself, Ray felt more content to hang about there than at his own apartment anyway. (Which wasn’t a terrifying thought whatsoever.) In any other situation, the resounding answer of, “Yes, of course I’ll stay with you, Jack” would be spouted off in no time at all.

 

However, this was different. This held a deeper meaning than late night offers when going home at 2 AM seemed pointless and more trouble than anything else.

 

This held _feelings on a significant level._

 

The awkward silence peaked about thirty seconds after the statement/question had been posed. Ray watched Michael clear his throat and glance at Gavin, who was watching Jack. The gent was looking with muted hopefulness at Ray.

 

“That would be… very nice.” That did nothing at all to make the situation any less awkward.

 

“So, will you?”

 

“Oh, uh, yeah, definitely!” Ray replied, remembering belatedly that a direct answer would probably have been the right course of action since the beginning.

 

Michael looked between the two, then at Gavin. “Alright, glad you fucks could set that so gracefully.”

 

* * *

 

 

The next day, the twenty-third of December, was the day Michael and Geoff would be leaving Austin to head home for the holidays.

 

Geoff was off without a hitch right on schedule at 5 in the morning, the nine-hour drive to Alabama the only reason he would ever consider rising at such an ungodly hour. Michael had wondered how in the hell the eldest gent would even be awake enough to drive on the highway without endangering the public, and had joked about it accordingly. He was rewarded with a weak punch to the arm and a “shut your god damn mouth, Jones,” before shutting up about it.

 

After all, he would be up not that much later to catch a flight to New Jersey he was not entirely looking forward to. As he loaded his luggage into his trunk, he felt a pang of guilt, mind having floated to Ray. It felt almost unfair that he would be successfully headed to the northeast while his younger boyfriend would be unable to see his own parents for Christmas.

 

As everyone had parted the previous evening, Geoff and Ryan having been filled in on Ray’s change of plans, Michael had noticed just how dejected the Puerto Rican had seemed. He hoped Jack would be able to cheer him up. Another pang of emotion hit Michael. Ray would be spending Christmas with Jack.

 

Somehow, it seemed right and wrong all at once. Sure, none of them should have to give up on well thought-out holiday travel plans out of pure, unadulterated _passion_ for each other, because they weren’t codependent fuck heads who couldn’t be without one another for more than a few hours. All things considered, the “honeymoon” portion of the six’s relationship had come and gone without much fanfare. They all just, fit comfortably together, and that was that. No drama necessary.

 

On the same train of thought, it was their first Christmas together as a- whatever they were. Overly large group of interconnected couples? A group? Either way, it was the first time December 25th would pass them by when they were dating and past the “affectionate fling” phase, already moving onto the “serious commitment” phase. And with commitment came Christmases as- a family.

 

Michael drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he sat through yet another red light and pointedly did _not_ think about the six of them being a family.

 

Even if Geoff and Gavin bickered like an old married couple, and Ryan fussed about them all like a mother hen, and- too much not thinking.

 

Just as Michael approached the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, already bustling with people and cars and children, his phone rang out. He struggled to retrieve it from his back pocket as he pulled into the “departures” lane.

 

“Hello?”

 

“ _Mikey, honey, it’s mom!”_

 

“Mom, I can recognize your voice pretty well without you telling me it’s you.”

 

“ _Well how else am I supposed to start a phone call?”_

“I don’t know, look, mom, I just got to the airport, my flight’s in two hours, hopefully there won’t be many delays. Ray’s stuck behind because they’re cancelling flights from here to JFK but mine should still-“

 

“ _That’s what I called about, sweetheart.”_

Michael slowed the car, mindful of a bumbling family making their way across three lanes of heavy traffic without a care in the world. “What’s going on?”

 

“ _Your aunt and uncle got in yesterday feeling a bit under the weather, and this morning we all woke up with chills and fevers.”_

“What?” He turned on his blinkers, then thought against it and signaled to get into the roundabout lane. “Are you guys alright?”

 

“ _We’re fine, Mikey, but your father and I decided we should push back our little family get together to New Years. We know it’s short notice, but we don’t want to get any of you sick, and we won’t feel much like entertaining-“_

“It’s not any trouble, mom,” Michael reassured her as he worked his way back to the freeway, “Someone on standby’s gonna get a great early present from me, yeah?”

 

“ _I’m glad your being optimistic about all of this. Drive safely, call me later.”_

“I will, love you, mom.”

 

“ _Love you, honey.”_

Dropping his phone into the passenger seat, Michael took only a brief second to think before moving into the far left lane, making his way to Jack’s.

 

* * *

 

 

Jack hummed and handed Ray another mug of coffee. The younger took it gratefully, bringing it to his lips in an almost zombie-like fashion. Jack hoped it would stay in Ray’s hands, because the lad looked ready to slide right off of the couch and collapse into sleep on the floor. Perhaps staying up the previous night had been a bad idea.

 

All the same, Jack was still amazed that Ray was there at all. Not the physical act of Ray being barely awake on his couch early in the morning, that happened on a somewhat regular basis now, but the being there instead of being on a flight to New York two days from Christmas. He tried not to feel a sick sense of happiness about the whole thing, because it was horrible that he couldn’t even see his damn parents. But when he thought about how he could now spend the holiday with the younger lad, one of the people he loved most in the world, Jack felt creepily overjoyed. Part of him wished for a fleeting second that the others would feel compelled to cancel their plans and join him and Ray, but that would be ridiculous.

 

The doorbell rang, surprising both Jack and Ray. While the younger coughed around another sip of coffee, Jack pushed off of the couch and toward the front hall. He glanced at his phone for the time. Who the hell would be at the door this early?

 

“Michael? Aren’t you supposed to be on a plane right now?”

 

The Jersey-born smirked up at him. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

 

Jack laughed and opened the front door a bit wider, inviting the younger inside. Michael entered quickly, the sharp chill of the air increasing as a breeze make the pine trees shake. Closing the door, Jack motioned for Michael to follow him to the lounge. Ray looked up from his mug as the two entered the room, curiosity making him look a bit more awake.

 

“My family’s all got the damn plague or something,” Michael said in lieu of an explanation for his sudden appearance as he flopped down on the other end of the sofa. Jack sat back down in between the lads, wrapping an arm around Ray’s waist as he turned to face Michael.

 

“So plans all cancelled, then?” Michael nodded and looked over at the muted television, silent images of snowdrifts in Montana filling the screen. The room filled with a much more comfortable silence than it had yesterday. Perhaps it was the early hour, or maybe it was how Jack had already made the offer that Ray had accepted. Of course it would extend to Michael, and however many others would need it. After a beat, Jack realized that actually offering would produce better results than assuming Michael had already accepted.

 

“So, you gonna stay with me and Jack?” Ray’s voice surprised Jack, who turned to look at the sleepy lad. He said nothing to counter what Ray said.

 

“If you’ll have me, yeah,” Michael muttered, voice smaller than usual. Jack smiled warmly at the younger redhead.

 

“Of course, I’d never turn you down. I’ll just have to tell my parents to expect a few more guests for Christmas Eve.”

 

Jack desperately hoped neither would freak out at the prospect of spending the holiday with his family. They had met the Pattillos before, being the only of their families to live close enough to visit, so it wouldn’t be the awkward “meet-the-parents” situation that it could be. The room remained quiet, Ray looking like he was going to drop off again, Michael reaching for the remote to unmute the television, and it was settled. Jack smiled more widely and pulled Ray closer to him.

 

A few hours later and Jack was making phone calls left and right. One to Ryan, who was responsible for helping Gavin pack up all his shit, one to Gavin, to remind him to start packing all of his shit, and one to Geoff, who would be more than halfway home at that point. Sighing as he hung up on their eldest boyfriend, Jack scrolled through his contacts before dialing the familiar number- and was confused when it went to his parents’ voicemail.

 

Brow furrowed, Jack tried his mother’s cellphone. Three rings later, she was picking up.

 

“ _Jack, dear, thank goodness you called-“_

“Hey mom, are you and dad not home?” Jack leaned against the counter, fingers coming up to trace the picture of Ryan and Geoff on the fridge.

 

“ _Yes, we’re out at the moment, and, uh, will be for a while.”_

Jack let out a confused noise. “What do you mean?”

 

“ _Well, I forgot to mention it before, but dad won the pool at work, and we got an all expense trip for Christmas! To California! It completely slipped my mind to call and tell you about it, this was all so sudden.”_

“So, wait, are you… are you in California right now?”

 

“ _Los Angeles, beautiful weather-“_

“Mom, how the hell can you just- go to California and not tell me?!” Jack was less angry, more hurt. Having a forgetful mother is one thing, but one who forgets something that big?

 

“ _I’m sorry, darling, but like I said, it was so sudden. We’ll be back in time for New Years. Oh, I’ve gotta go, your dad’s taking me to lunch. Love you!”_

The click of the receiver on the other end was loud in the silence of the kitchen. Jack set his phone on the countertop and ran a hand through his beard. He was old enough to not be completely destroyed over the idea of not seeing his parents for Christmas, but still, this was all a bit jarring. But then the prospect of getting to spend the holiday with Michael and Ray on the couch with hot chocolate and bad movies, in the kitchen with cobbled together tacos, in bed…

 

Moving to the living room to tell them the news, Jack felt a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

 

* * *

 

 

Geoff was livid. Christmas was fucking ruined and he would be driving nine more hours because his family was full of mean hearted dicks that would put the damn Grinch to shame. The man was practically fuming at the ears by the time he had pulled up to a motel just outside of town and put the car into park. He rested his head on the top of the steering wheel and let out a long breath, trying to calm down. Before he knew it, his phone was in his hand, already ringing on the other end.

 

“ _Geoff, what’s up? You at your parents?”_ Ray’s voice was more calming than he expected it would be. But thinking about Ray led to thinking about not going home and that was a road he wished not to go down.

“Not exactly.” Geoff resisted the urge to just let slip a litany of curses and instead concentrated on the clock on the dashboard that had just changed from “4:32” to “4:33”.

 

“ _…And what would that mean, exactly?”_

“It would mean that my _loving_ mother and father so _graciously_ invited my relatives from Arkansas. You know, the ones who go out and _petition against civil rights_ on a regular basis _?_ Well, they were already all cozied up at mom and dad’s place, sitting all _high and mighty_ in the living room. I lasted about ten minutes before they started demanding I look into fucking _therapy_ because if I just try hard enough, they’re sure they can _pray the fucking gay away!_ ” Geoff gritted his teeth and breathed heavily before continuing, “I told them to kindly go shove eight dicks each into their mouths and wished my parents a wonderful Christmas before leaving. Tell Jack I’ll drive back tomorrow morning.”

 

“ _Will do.”_ A beat. “ _Geoff, I’m so fucking sorry, I know you hate those idiots. We’ll see you tomorrow._ ”

 

With that, Ray hung up. Geoff wondered for a moment if the slight pause could have been used to utter the Three Words, because there were more and more moments in every day speech where a sincere “I love you” would fit in very snugly. But at the tail end of an aggressive phone call might not be the time to finally break that barrier. When they were all together, all six of them, that would be the right time to say it. Geoff tried to not gleefully think of what his delightfully horrible relatives would think then.

 

Sighing, Geoff moved to get out of the car. A decent rest before heading back to Austin seemed more than worth it. The gent hoped things were going better for the others.

 

* * *

 

 

Christmas Eve was a horrible day to travel. Ryan wondered why Gavin was even bothering with a flight this late, seeing as Christmas would be done and over with by the time he got to England. But the young Brit was adamant that everything was planned out for a reason, something about his brother’s work schedule and flights being cheaper and a load of rot Ryan wasn’t particularly interested in.

 

The two had split up half an hour ago, Gavin to go to the international terminal while Ryan headed toward domestic flights. Jack had reportedly that Geoff would be joining Ray and Michael at his house in a few hours, and the blond idly entertained the idea of skipping the entire ordeal of planes and lost hours in the air to join four of his boyfriends. In less than forty-eight hours, things had gone from completely planned out to completely ruined for almost all of them, and part of Ryan wanted things to get ruined for him, too.

 

It wasn’t that he didn’t love his family. No, he adored spending time with his parents and his sister. But ever since November had drifted into December, Ryan had imagined what Christmas would be like with his five lovers. While they had only been together a short while, everything already seemed a certain level of permanent. Ryan thought of how easily Michael kissed him, how frequently Geoff wore his sweaters, how nicely Ray fit all curled against his chest- Ryan thought of all of this and more and he desperately prayed to every deity listening that this would _last_ because the six of them damn well deserved it.

 

His phone buzzing broke him out of his reverie. He had gotten two texts simultaneously. He opened the one from Geoff first. It was a picture of Ray, Jack, and Michael hauling bags out of his car, with the caption, “Holy shit no one told me Michael was here too?!” Ryan snorted and shot back a quick, “You didn’t ask,” before opening the other text. This one was not so lighthearted.

 

It was from his sister, and did not feature any pictures: “mom and dad invited grdma daisy. crazy old bitch thrw a fit abt you coming. please stay in austin, i’ll come visit asap”

 

The text was obviously hurried, and Ryan stared at it for a few minutes. Daisy Haywood was not a kind woman, and “crazy old bitch” was an almost too accurate description. She had practically disowned Ryan when he brought home a guy when he was in college, and refused to even utter the word “gay” in any connotation. Her old Georgian sensibilities steered her away from acceptance, but she was batshit before Ryan began exploring his sexuality- a fact that his parents seemed to have completely glossed over.

 

A quick exchange with his sister later, and Ryan was headed out of Austin-Bergstrom and to his car, duffle heavy on his shoulder but much lighter than it had been twenty minutes previous. He reached for his phone, grin plastered on his face.

 

* * *

 

Snow cancelled flights were a godsend, Ray thought to himself as he watched Michael and Jack try a Trials map for the fiftieth time. They had been playing all afternoon, starting up as soon as Ryan had come in the door.

 

Having four of five boyfriends around was definitely not what Ray had been expecting his holiday to be like, but it had happened all the same. Just add Gavin and the group would be complete for Christmas, and that thought just about blew Ray’s mind. The warmth of the house seemed to negate how horrible not being with loving, and not so loving, family members during the holiday season was.

 

“Mother _fucker_!”

 

Ray laughed, then jumped nearly a foot in the air when he felt two pairs of lips on his neck, one on both sides. Geoff and Ryan had come out of nowhere, presumably the kitchen, but with the mood they were in becoming rapidly apparent, perhaps the bedroom…

 

“Glad your flight got fucked up,” Geoff murmured into his heated skin, and Ray shuddered as Ryan dragged his teeth over his collarbone.

 

“So am I,” he managed. Ryan chucked into his shoulder. The two gents’ hands were wandering awfully quickly, running up and down his sides and legs, and Ray was suddenly struck by how glorious this was; this being the fact that two of the men he had pitifully pined over for months were now sucking on his neck, leaving bruises as presents on Christmas fucking Eve because they were dating and not visiting family and god, he never wanted to spend his holidays away from any of these people ever again.

 

From the lack of rage-filled curses from across the room, it appeared Michael and Jack had decided to put away video games for the moment. Sex seemed a hell of a lot more important, and fun, for that matter.

 

“You two gonna keep him all to yourself, or…?” Ray could barely make out Michael’s sultry voice, accent played up due to the huskiness of his tone. He felt himself being lifted up, undoubtedly to be led to the bedroom. He was completely fine with that.

 

* * *

 

He huffed out a breath and shifted his weight to the balls of his feet and wondered for the thousandth time if he should have called ahead. Impulsive decision-making would always be his downfall. But it was ten at night and getting really damn cold outside, so he hurriedly pushed the doorbell. Shuffling could be heard from inside, more than one pair of feet going to open the front door. He held his breath as the entrance swung open.

 

“Hope I didn’t catch you lot at a bad time?” Gavin was only a little surprised at his boyfriends’ state of dress. All of them were in underthings of various degrees, from boxers and thin shirts to robes and socks. Each one of them wore an expression of utter confusion.

 

“Gav? Why aren’t you on a plane to Heathrow right now?” Jack asked from his spot at the front of the pack. The younger lad shrugged and made to go in the house, craving the warmth it offered.

 

“Well, you all were here, and my flight to Dallas got delayed a hell of a long time for some reason, and by the time it showed up, I figured my family could wait a bit to see me because I wanted to see you more.” He wanted to say a lot more, declarations of affection and devotion bubbling under his skin. But his few words seemed to be enough for the rest of them.

 

“Alright then,” Ryan decided, and the others all made various noises of agreement. Gavin smiled widely and dropped his bags by the wall.

 

“Can we order food, then? I’m starving.”

 

* * *

 

 

The television in the bedroom droned on ceaselessly, old reruns of _CSI_ playing at a low volume. Several pizza boxes were scattered across the floor, having been kicked off unceremoniously as they had been emptied. Snored and shifting legs and even breathing came from the bed. The six Achievement Hunters were curled around each other tightly. Everything seemed- right? Was that a good word for it? Each and every one of them felt more than content as sleep had picked them off. Each and every one of them was glad thing had not gone as planned. The overwhelming feeling of _love_ just sort of emanated from them all and lord above, that was more than sappy. But the holidays called for sappy, so it was excused.

 

The clock on the nightstand ticked over to “12:01,” and then the six were sharing their first Christmas together.

 

END

 


End file.
